The graphic (Times 12th January) suggests one challenge to Test cricket- the increasing space taken in the cricket year by franchise competitions. There are 80 England and Wales First Class cricketers involved in franchise competitions in the December-February window.
The draft for the Pakistan Super League takes place this week and its likely some England players notably Hampshire captain James Vince will be picked. The ECB that runs cricket in England and Wales has threatened to bar players who are in summer franchise competitions..
The major threats to the future of Tests are however two fold. Firstly as Michael Atherton argued (Times 11th January) market forces are key. Players can earn far more in franchise cricket than Test and if forced to choose the latter may win out. Secondly as Lizzie Ammon argued in the same paper climate change is a major threat to the future of global cricket. Global cricket with players flying the globe on a regular basis has a massive carbon footprint
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